There are
only two statue series that I'm a completest on - Batman Black and
White, and Cover Girls of the DCU. No Batman here tonight, so that
probably is a pretty good indication of what I'm covering this time
around. And after this statue, I might be down to one series.

When I hit up Raven
a couple weeks ago, I realized that I hadn't seen any other Cover Girl
statues in quite awhile...something didn't seem right. Sure enough, I
managed to miss out on Starfire. A quick order was placed, and now that
terrible wrong has been righted.

Sadly, it appears that Starfire was the last to have an actual edition
size. They produced 4000 in the limited edition, and the numbering is
on the bottom of the box as well as the bottom of the statue.

The lovely lady is available right now at many online retailers and
local comic shops, and you can expect to pay around $85, depending on
the retailer.

Packaging - ***
Pretty standard packaging, with the
edition size on the bottom. There's no window, but the interior foam is
high density and keeps everything safe and sound.

Sculpting - ****
Another great job by Jack Mathews, based
on the design by Adam Hughes. I grew up checking out the lovely Vargas
ladies in my dad's old magazines, so I have an appreciation for the pin
up style. Hughes has modernized it for the superhero market, but it's
still a beautiful style.

These statues are fairly large -
Starfire comes in at 9" tall without the base.

The
finely detailed hair, with great stranding and style, flows down her
back and around her left hand. I have a soft spot for red heads anyway
- this one has everything going her way.

The very skimpy outfit
and thigh high boots look fantastic, with just enough texture and
detail to set them apart from the skin itself. I love the defiant yet
sexy pose, and the flat boots are better looking in many ways than the
spiked heels we've seen on some characters.

This is a two piece statue, with
the base separate from the statue. Metal posts hold her in place.

Paint - **1/2
The paint
work isn't quite as nice this time around. It's not a huge let down,
but there's quite a bit of slop around the cut lines and edges.

The
biggest issue is probably the eyes, a crucial aspect of any beautiful
woman. The black liner slips onto the funky eyes here and there,
messing up what would otherwise be a fantastic look.

There's also
a little slop along some of the edges of the uniform. The outfit itself
is bright and consistent, but some of the blue slips onto the skin here
and there.

And then there's the lips -
uneven and crooked, it looks like she was wasted when she applied it.

This really hurts what is
otherwise a beautiful statue, and when paint pulls down a sculpt like
this, it's always disappointing.

Value - **
With only (only?) 4000 of these produced and
still plenty available through multiple online retailers, I have a bad
feeling that DC Direct has gone past the ideal price point. At around
$70 - $75, these would be moving far better, even with a lesser known
character like Starfire.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing!

Overall - ***
This is a great sculpt, very reflective of the overall style of the
series and Hughes himself. Sadly, it looks like it may be the last I
pick up.

It's not Starfire's fault -
sure, the paint pulls down an otherwise terrific sculpt, but it's not
THAT bad.

No, she's not the problem. The
problem is that DCD has gone in a new
direction with this series, breaking the original vision. Rather than
sticking with the bodacious designs of Hughes of classic characters,
they are moving toward a broader set of artists and more modern
designs. Next up is a Jim Lee Wonder Woman based on the New 52. Double
ugh. I have
a very bad feeling that the release of this next statue will kill the
series...and of course, they won't feel that was because they made a
terrible
decision, but rather the fault of the collectors for not responding to
their brilliant concept.